Portable power-operated block planers



May 31, 1966 R. M. FEGAN ETAL PORTABLE POWER-OPERATED BLOCK PLANERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1964 INVENTORS. RICHARD M. FEGAN and DON L. HARVELL BY 5 7 ATTORNEY Fig. 7

y 1, 1966 R. M. FEGAN ETAL 3,253,624

PORTABLE POWER-OPERATED BLOCK PLANERS INVENTORS. RICHARD M. FEGAN 0nd DON L. HARVELL W ayuw ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,253,624 PORTABLE PDWER-OPERATED BLOCK PLANERS Richard M. Fegan, Taylor's, and Don L. Harvell, Greenville, S.C., assignors to The Singer Company, New York, N .Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 15, 1964, Ser. No. 375,255 3 Claims. (Cl. 145-4) The present invention relates to a portable power-operated planer and in particular to a planer whose cutter spindle is adjustable relatively to a work-contacting shoe both vertically and about a fulcrum point intermediate the cutter ends.

It is an object of this invention to provide an adjustable planer that is small, compact and inexpensive of manufacture.

The manufacturer, in order to reduce the cost of pro ducing portable power planars has found it important to reduce the requirement of holding close tolerances in the alignment of the cutter spindle with the work-contacting shoe, which requirement would normally increase the cost of manufacture. It is another object of this invention, therefore, to provide a planer which may be readily adjusted to compensate for manufacturing difierences which would otherwise result in misalignment of the cutter with respect to the work.

Furthermore, as the planer is operated over a period of time the cutter is subject to wear which may not necessarily be evenly distributed along the length of the cutter blades. Thus it is still another object of the present in vention to provide adjustable means to compensate for un even wear of the cutter blades.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the planer of this invention shown in operative engagement with a block of work material,

FIG. 2 is a top FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a reduced bottom plan view of the shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partially broken away, of the vertical adjustment means for the planer of the present invention,

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the pivotal adjustment means of the planer of the present invention,

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic showing of the vertical adjustment of the cutter,

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic showing illustrating the pivotal adjustment of the cutter of the present invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, wherein similar reference numerals identify corresponding parts throughout the several views, 10 represents a portable power-operated planer, substantially as shown.

A rectangularly shaped work-containing shoe 12 includes a transverse cutter cutout 14 intermediate the length of the shoe. A housing 16 is connected to shoe 12 and extends upwardly therefrom. A hollow handle 20 is inplan view of the planer depicted in planer ICE tegrally connected to housing 16 through the intermediacy of posts 22. Such a structure allows the operator to grasp the handle and easily and conveniently maneuver the planer without having to come into contact with motor 28, contained by housing 16, which often runs hot to the touch. A slidable power switch 24 is positioned at the top forward end of hollow handle 2!} and is connected to electrical cable 26 which in turn connects to a power supply (not shown) through the hollow handle. The positioning of the switch at this location on the handle allows the operator to flick the switch while grasping the handle thereby to activate or deactivate the motor as he wishes.

Motor 28 is positioned within housing 16 with its shaft axis transverse to and above the forward portion of shoe 12. Motor 28 is adapted to rotate a drive shaft 30 which extends outwardly a short distance beyond the motor, but within housing extension'Sl integrally connected to one side of housing 16 as seen more clearly in FIG. 2. A toothed pulley 32 is secured to end portion 34 of drive shaft 30. A cutter spindle 36 is journaled within housing 16 parallel with drive shaft 30 but spaced both horizontally and vertically from the drive shaft. A toothed pulley 37 is secured to end 35 of spindle 36. A toothed drive belt 38 fits about and extends between pulleys 32 and 37. Since pulleys 32 and 37 are the same size, a 1-1 ratio is set up between the motor drive shaft and the cutter spindle.

An elongated cutter 40 concentrically and removably ,40 is rotated the edges of cutter blades 42 follow a path that, in effect, forms a cylinder the outer surface of which defines a cutting line extending the length of the cutter at the point of work contact. In its operative position cutter 44 extends with its cutting line parallel to the contact surface 44 of shoe 12, slightly above cutout 14, as far as edge 46 of shoe 12. Contact surface 44 includes a raised section 48 and a lower section 50 (FIG. 3). The width of section 48 coincides with the width of cutter 4!), as seen more clearly in FIG. 3. The contacting edges of blades 42 extend downwardly through cutout 14 below the plane of lower section 50 to the plane of raised section 48. Thus, as seen more clearly in FIG. 1 the vertical difference 50 is approximately equal to the maximum depth of cut taken out of work piece 52. By providing such a vertical differential between levels of the respective sections of contact surface 44 planer 10 is maintained at a constant level relatively to the work piece 52. A generally L- shaped guide 54 is removably secured to contact surface 44 by winged screw 56. Tangs 58 extending upwardly into apertures 60 from contact surface 44 serve to align the guide plate and position downwardly depending arm 62 of the guide parallel to edge 64 of raised section 48 (FIG. 3) and adjacent the inner edge 63 of cutter blades 42.

Turning now to other features of the present invention, as noted supra, a means must be provided to obviate the necessity of manufacturing cutters and cutter shafts with close tolerances, thereby to hold down the cost of manufacture. A means for accomplishing this end resides in the provisions for adjusting the cutter both vertically, as illustrated in FIG. 6, and pivotally about a fulcrum point intermediate the cutter ends, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

To provide for the vertical adjustment shown in FIG. 6 an adjustment screw 66 threadedly engages housing 16 at its fiat tail section 68 (FIG. 1). As screw 66 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the bottom of the screw comes into contact with the top surface 70 of shoe 12 and applies pressure thereto. The reaction to such pressure lifts housing 16 upwardly away from the shoe, the housing pivoting at the front thereof on leaf spring 72 which flexes as the housing moves. Leaf spring 72 is secured at one end to the front of the housing and at its other end to the front of shoe 12. When the screw is rotated in the opposite direction the weight of the motor combined with the bias exerted by spring 72 serve to return the housing to its original position. Since the cutter is distantly removed from the fulcrum point about which the housing pivots and the distance traversed is relatively short, for all practical purposes the cutter is considered to move vertically relatively to the contact surface 44, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Stop spring 74, fitted on screw 66, prevents the operator from raising the housing beyond a predetermined point by limiting vertical travel of the screw as it is rotated through section 68 toward surface 70 of shoe 12. It follows, therefore, that since cutter 40 is secured to the housing the cutter will not rise above a predetermined point. Spring 74 is designed to prevent the cutter blades from rising above the surface of section 50 (as viewed in FIG. 1). A right angle bracket 76 having an elongated aperture 78 (FIG. 4) in its vertical leg is secured to the top surface 70 of shoe 12. In this position the vertical leg extends in contiguous relation with downwardly depending ledge 80 integrally formed with tail section 68. A threaded aperture 82 extends through ledge 80. Bracket 76 is positioned to align aperture 82 with aperture 78, allowing the insertion therein of locking screw 84.

To provide for the pivotal adjustment shown in FIG. 7 leaf spring 72 is secured at one end by any suitable means, such as rivets 86, to the front end of shoe 12. The other end of spring 72 is formed with three horizontally aligned apertures, viz, a roll pin aperture 88 and two locking screw apertures 90. The front end of housing 16 includes a boss 92 having three horizontally aligned apertures, viz, center aperture 94 and two threaded apertures 96. A roll pin 98 secured in the boss 92 extends through the aligned apertures 88 and 94 thereby to provide a means for pivoting housing 16 laterally about the centeraperture 88 of leaf spring 72 as illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. 5. The pivotal movement of housing 16 provides the lateral pivotal movement of cutter 40 illustrated in FIG. 7 because the cutter is journaled in the housing and therefore follows the movement of the hous- A locking plate 100 is formed with screw apertures 102 horizontally aligned with roll pin.recess 104. Locking screws 106 are adapted to fit through apertures 102 and threadedly engage apertures 96, with recess 104 accepting the portion of roll pin 98 which extends outwardly beyond leaf spring 72. By tightening screws 106 plate 100 clamps housing 16 to leaf spring 72. It is noted that locking screw apertures 90 in leaf spring 72 are larger in diameter than the threaded apertures 96 in boss 92, thereby providing the requisite maneuvering area about screws 106 as the pivotal adjustment is made. Thus plate 100 and screws 106 provide the operator with means to lock the housingagainst pivotal movement about roll pin 98 and locking screw 84 and right angle bracket 76 combine to lock the housing against vertical movement.

A spring loaded cutter guard 108 is pivotally mounted on one side of housing 16 on pin 110 and in its closed position serves to shut off cutter aperture 112. Since cutter guard 108 is pivotally mounted on the side of the housing 16 the guard will swing free, if, at any time during the course of the planing operation the guard should come into contact with a protruding surface on the work piece. This will obviate any undesirable sudden stops or bumps caused by the contact of a fixed cutter guard with the protuberances. The chips that are sliced from the work piece 52 are carried around and into a chip exhaust compartment 114. The air flow created by the spiral cutter blades 42 serves to carry the chips through the exhaust compartment 114 and out through chip discharge aperture 116 (FIG. 2).

It can be understood from the foregoing, therefore, that a convenient and relatively inexpensive means has been provided to adjust the cutter both in vertical translation and lateral rotation relatively to the plane of shoe 12 to produce proper cutting. The present invention, by providing an uncomplicated adjusting means, has reduced the cost of manufacture in at least two ways. Thus, the adjustment means herein described requires less manufacturing accuracy in the alignment of the cutter spindle and, in addition, the adjustment means themselves are relatively inexpensive of manufacture.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, however, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to a preferred embodiment of our invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is:

1. A portable power-operated planer comprising a shoe having a transverse cutter opening and a work-contacting surface, a housing pivotally secured to the shoe, a motor positioned in said housing, a handle spaced apart from said housing, means for connecting said handle to said housing, a cutter spindle rotatably mounted on said housing adjacent to the cutter opening, mean for operatively connecting the motor to the cutter spindle, a cutter removably secured to said spindle, a leaf spring secured to said shoe, said housing being pivotally connected to the leaf spring, means for locking the leaf spring to said housing in a predetermined pivotal position, means connected to the housing for adjusting the cutter vertically relatively to the work-contacting surface of the shoe whereby said cutter may be adjusted vertically and also about a fulcrum point intermediate the cutter ends.

2. In a portable power-operated planer having a housing, a motor supported by the housing, a handle connected to said housing, a shoe having a work contacting surface and including a cutter opening, a rotatable cutter mounted within said housing and horizontally disposed adjacent said cutter opening, means for operatively connecting said motor to said cutter, and means for adjustably mounting said housing on the shoe comprising a leaf spring aflixed to said shoe, said housing being pivotally connected to the leaf spring, means for locking the housing to the leaf spring, a vertical adjustment screw threadedly engaging said housing and adapted to contact the upper surface of said shoe, a bracket fixedly secured to said shoe and means for locking the bracket to the housing, wherebypivotal adjustment of the housing on the leaf spring provides pivotal adjustment of the cutter about a fulcrum point intermediate the cutter ends and adjustment of the screw provides vertical adjustment of the cutter relatively to the work-contacting surface of the shoe.

3. A portable power-operated planer comprising a housing, a handle spaced apart from said housing, means for connecting the handle to the housing, a shoe having a transverse cutter opening and a work-contacting surface, a motor mounted within said housing, means for actuating said motor, a drive shaft rotated by said motor, a rotatable cutter having a horizontal axis mounted within the housing adjacent the cutter opening, a spindle secured to the cutter, means connecting the spindle to the drive shaft for rotating said spindle, said housing including a chip exhaust compartment adjacent said cutter, a leaf spring fixedly secured to the forward end of the shoe, means for pivotally connecting the front end of the housing to said leaf spring, means for locking the housing to the leaf spring in a predetermined pivotal position, means for adjusting the cutter vertically relatively to the work-contacting surface, said last mentioned means including an adjustment screw threadedly engaging the housing and means for limiting the vertical adjustment of the cutter, and means for locking the cutter in a predetermined vertical position, said last mentioned means including a bracket secured to the shoe, whereby the pivotal adjustment of said housing on the leaf spring provides pivotal adjustment of the cutter about a fulcrum point intermediate the cutter ends.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,932,511 10/1933 Clarke.

FOREIGN PATENTS 134,940 10/ 1949 Australia.

0 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, J 11., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE POWER-OPERATED PLANAR COMPRISING A SHOE HAVING A TRANSVERSE CUTTER OPENING AND A WORK-CONTACTING SURFACE, A HOUSING PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE SHOE, A MOTOR POSITIONED IN SAID HOUSING, A HANDLE SPACED APART FROM SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID HANDLE TO SAID HOUSING, A CUTTER SPINDLE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING ADJACENT TO THE CUTTER OPENING, MEANS FOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE MOTOR TO THE CUTTER SPINDLE, A CUTTER REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID SPINDLE, A LEAF SPRING SECURED TO SAID SHOE, SAID HOUSING BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE LEAF SPRING, MEANS FOR LOCKING THE LEAF SPRING TO SAID HOUSING IN A PREDETERMINED PIVOTAL POSITION, MEANS CONNECTED TO THE HOUSING FOR ADJUSTING THE CUTTER VERTICALLY RELATIVELY TO THE WORK-CONTACTING SURFACE OF THE SHOE WHEREBY SAID CUTTER MAY BE ADJUSTED VERTICALLY AND ALSO ABOUT A FULCRUM POINT INTERMEDIATE THE CUTTER ENDS. 